FREITAG, 15. MAI 2026 
This Week in La Gazette Drouot : Sisley, Impressions of Moret-sur-Loing: A Rediscovered Canvas from 1889
T he Impressionist master creates a peaceful view of his beloved Seine-et-Marne commune, which he loved to depict in all seasons.
By Christophe Provot
Read the full version of "Sisley, Impressions of Moret-sur-Loing: A Rediscovered Canvas from 1889" in La Gazette Drouot
In many ways, Moret-sur-Loing was for Sisley what Auvers was for Van Gogh, Giverny for Monet or Gennevilliers for Caillebotte : a constant source of inspiration, and above all a place to spend his last days. It was in 1880 that he discovered this ancient medieval town southwest of Fontainebleau, once on the border between the Kingdom of France and the Duchy of Burgundy.
The town has a few vestiges of this past, such as the Porte de Bourgogne, which Sisley painted on several occasions. In just under twenty years, he produced over 400 paintings in Moret-sur-Loing.
Sisley occupies a special place among the Impressionists, exclusively painting landscapes. The "most Impressionist of the Impressionists", as Pissarro put it, was a champion of the Ile-de-France and its villages, whose gentleness he appreciated. This painting is a remarkable testimony to the tranquility he so faithfully transcribed.
"It's a beautiful painting, with a lovely atmosphere and remarkable reflections on the water," enthuses expert Agnès Sevestre-Barbé. An almost identical view can be found on an old postcard, c. 1900. Sisley enjoyed depicting geese in the foreground. In fact, he dedicated a series of pastels to these animals. Geese are the only element of life in this view, devoid of any human figures.
The town has a few vestiges of this past, such as the Porte de Bourgogne, which Sisley painted on several occasions. In just under twenty years, he produced over 400 paintings in Moret-sur-Loing.
Sisley occupies a special place among the Impressionists, exclusively painting landscapes. The "most Impressionist of the Impressionists", as Pissarro put it, was a champion of the Ile-de-France and its villages, whose gentleness he appreciated. This painting is a remarkable testimony to the tranquility he so faithfully transcribed.
"It's a beautiful painting, with a lovely atmosphere and remarkable reflections on the water," enthuses expert Agnès Sevestre-Barbé. An almost identical view can be found on an old postcard, c. 1900. Sisley enjoyed depicting geese in the foreground. In fact, he dedicated a series of pastels to these animals. Geese are the only element of life in this view, devoid of any human figures.
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